Red River Classic Mustang Club THE PONY EXPRESS June 2012 2012 Board of Directors President Thomas Monahan 797-8385 Vice President Mark Winderweedle 347-8505 Secretary/Newsletter Lane Butler 423-5316 lane.butler@centerpointenergy.com Treasurer Vickie Doss 687-8818 Ext. 111 Show Director Erin Frostic rrcmc.showdirector@yahoo.com Activity Director Nicole Ferlito 470-7581 Internet Director Tommy Gayer tgdg@bellsouth.net Members at Large Gene Brock 458-4746 brockssuperior@gmail.com Jonathan Oliver iwanttogofast37@yahoo.com MCA Regional Director Ernie Lane MCA National Director Donna Arends 746-1823 Red River Classic Mustang Club P.O. Box 37724 Shreveport, LA 71133 F RO M TH E PRESIDENT S DESK Since the family and I are planning our annual Pilgrimage to Florida the first week in June, I find myself not being able to attend any shows in May in order to save money for the big trip. Preparing for the trip to Florida though has brought back memories of my first Mustang, and the road trip, if you will, to my current Mustang. Everyone has a Mustang story, and I thought I would share mine with the club. My first Mustang was a 93 GT Reef Blue hard top with leather interior that I bought in Orlando Florida. I was driving a Dodge Colt at the time, and was tired of being run off the road by the big v8s on my many trips down to West Palm Beach to see my grandparents. Two of my closest friends back in Shreveport were both driving Mustangs, so I figured this was the time to get one too. I was shopping around for a LX notch, something within my budget, but since the new 94s were out, and not selling too well, the Fox Bodies were being snapped up fast. My last stop of the day was at McInerney Ford. They amazingly had 2 GTs an Electric Red and a Reef Blue, and right in front of the dealership on a high pad, a Canary Yellow Feature Car with the chrome factory wheels. That LX drop top was hot, and what a ride to have in sunny Orlando Florida. But it just wasn t meant to be. The insurance on that car for a 22 year old male driver was outrageous, and my bank just would not loan me $23,000 for that car. My girlfriend at the time took one look at that screaming yellow car and said she would not be caught dead riding in it. I left the dealership in the Reef Blue GT, the better of the two GTs only because the guy that was trying to buy it couldn t close the deal, so I was able to get it for an even $16,000. A great deal for a fully loaded GT. Fast forward 12 years I am now back in Shreveport, and free of that deadbeat girlfriend, I was still talking about that yellow Feature car. One day, I would have one. Julane and I had many discussions about getting the car, how we would pay for it, how far I would drive for it whatever it would take. Then it happened. I got a phone call from my boss and good friend that he saw my car at an RV sales lot on West 70th St. down by Watertown. Yes, it was Yellow. Yes, it had the chrome 5 spoke wheels. Yes, it was a black convertible. It was too good to be true. The Mustang I always wanted was just 10 miles from my house. Right after work, I went straight over there to look at it. And of course, it started to rain, and was a furious downpour by the time I got there. After convincing the owner to let me drive it, and verifying it was a Feature car by the buck tag in the engine compartment, I gave him a check to hold it until I could get the rest of the cash together. I brought a friend with me that Saturday to look at the car one last time, paid the man, and took it home. My daughter Erin, was on the way, and the deal was, I had to pay the Mustang off before she got here. So, I sold the Reef Blue GT to another friend to get the LX paid off quicker. I must say, I regretted selling the car when I saw it drive away into the night. But I had to get the LX paid off before the money got diverted in another direction. And as it turned out the LX was a steal of a deal. After owning it for about 2 weeks, I decided to do a tune up, and found a MSD Ignition System hiding in the fender-well of the engine compartment. Cleaning out the trunk, I found a bill of sale under the spare tire indicating that the rear end gear had been changed to a 3.73 unit. (continued on page 2)
Page 2 The Pony Express P R E S I D E N T S DESK CONTINUED FROM P A G E 1 I went by to see the guy I bought the car from, to let him see that it was being taken care of, and asked him about the modifications. He had no idea about any of them, but was quite amazed that I had found the invoice under the spare tire. A few years later, after joining the Mustang club, and finding other mods to the car, I met the original owner of my car at a local car show. He later rejoined the club and we talk about the car often. Anthony later found and brought me the original Ford Sales Brochures for the car, along with a copy of Auto week covering the debut of the 93 LX feature car. Anthony Kveder was the original owner of the car, and I am the 4 th and final owner. I have had the LX for quite a while now, and it is starting to need some serious work. New top, New paint, major projects. Time to look for a second Mustang to drive when the LX is in the shop. I really would like a Black 93 SVT Cobra, or maybe a notch of some kind to race down the track at Gilliam. I guess that time will come once Erin is out of the house and in College. One can only dream. If you have a Mustang story you would like to share, don t hesitate to write it down and send it to Lane Butler our Club Secretary and Newsletter editor. It is always fun to tell the story of how you acquired your car, and if you do write an article for the newsletter, that will get you points toward that one off club jacket we give away every year at the club Christmas party. See you out there, Thomas Monahan P L E A S E S U P P O R T OUR C L U B S P O N S O R S
The Pony Express Page 3 MCA NEWS The show season is upon us. Time to get your baby ready to roll. While getting ready for a national show, remember that if you enter your car in a daily driven class, what counts is how clean your car is. One would think I drive my car everyday, how can I get it clean and it stay that way? Right now concentrate on the things that you usually don't do all the time. Are the air conditioning vents clean? Check inside the door openings (dirt accumulates in places that you wouldn't think it'd be there). For those who still have a spare tire compartment, make sure it's clean and the spare tire is also clean. The best advice is to pay attention to detail and the surface things will be easy to take care of. Final step - wash and put a good wax on your car. If you have hardto-clean wheels like mine, do an extreme detail on them before you leave and then all you have to worry about is what gets on them during the drive to the show. Most of all, get ready to have some fun!!! Still no more details about the 50th celebration. My gut is telling me that the plans might change. There are a lot of unhappy people talking on the MCA website. I hope to know more in July when I attend the next board meeting. As things come about, you all will be the first to know. This past month the Mustang community lost a great legend in Carroll Shelby. Be sad that he's gone, but also celebrate his life. He was a great man who cared about what he left to others when he passed on and he also supported the Mustang community throughout his life. He will be missed. See you on the road, Donna www.mustang.org S H OW NEWS As the Club gears up for our annual Show, our June project is door prizes. Now is the time to start collecting door prizes. As car show veterans, you know a quality door prize can really enhance the car show experience for all participants. Since several members have asked, let me clarify. A door prize can be anything. It does not have to be car related, but it definitely helps. A good gage of a great door prize is something you would like to have. PLEASE do not donate any item you would not like to receive yourself. I hesitate to put a dollar amount on items as you can get new things at garage sales, swap meets, Woot!, ebay, and etc inexpensively. You can also ask local businesses to donate items or services. Car washes, oil changes, alignments, and restaurant gift certificates are highly encouraged! If you need a beg letter in order for a local business to donate, please email me at rrcmc.showdirector@yahoo.com to request a letter. Door prize donations may be given to any Board member at any meeting. Don t forget, you will also receive points for our annual awards! Thank you in advance for your generous donations towards making our 2012 Show a success! Erin Frostic, Show Director www.anecafcu.org
Page 4 The Pony Express U P C O M I N G ACTIVITIES The April showers have come and gone. The May flowers have bloomed. June marks the beginning of summer so bring on the heat and clear your calendar because it is time to cruise. We start our month off with our monthly meeting at Podnuh's on Mansfield Rd at 5:00 pm. We will be cruising to David Beard's Catfish King in Waskom, TX. I hope you filled up the gas tank. Sunday the 3rd Ernie and Sabrina Lane will be hosting the show committee meeting at 3:00 pm. Please plan on attending we need new faces and ideas. All help is appreciated. Thursday the 7th is the Longview, Tx cruise at Whataburger on Gilmer Rd. We do not cruise over as a group but this is a great meet to check out. Friday and Saturday 8 & 9 the Hot Rod Power Tour will be ending at the Ball Park in Arlington, TX. I have been to this before and it is a awesome place to see all kinds of cars. You can get more details on www.hotrodmagazine.com. Also, Saturday the 9th is the monthly Marshall cruise. We meet at the TX Welcome Center at 2:00 pm to cruise over as a group. Then we hang out and eat dinner together before cruising back home. The Mid America Shelby Meet starts Wednesday the 13th and runs thru the 16th. Ask Tommy Gayer for more details. Saturday the 16th is the monthly BreakFast and Fast rides at Strawn's Eat Shop Too 1643 East 70th St in the Target parking lot from 8-10:00 am. BreakFast is open to all make and models. It is growing and a lot of fun. Then in the PM of Saturday is the Collier's show n shine from 5-8 pm. Our monthly board meeting is the third Wednesday of each and every month at Reed Industrial on Mt Zion Rd 6:30 pm. Asbury Motor Club holds is monthly show n shine the fourth Saturday of the month from 5-8pm. This month that will be the 23rd. Also, on Saturday the 23rd is the T-Bone Walker Music Festival in Linden, Tx. This year they will be hosting a car show along with the music festival. I will email out more info when it is available. I went last year and it was super fun. Last but not least the last Saturday of the month the 30th starts the 50th Anniversary Cobra Tour. Ask Tommy Gayer for more details. It has been a great show and cruise season so far with lots of participation from all the members. I look forward to seeing each and every one of you at all the upcoming events. Have a wonderful month and Happy Father's Day. Don't forget June also marks the arrival of future member Caroline Lesikar. Your activities Director Nicole Ferlito For Sale: 1966 Mustang Coupe Baby Blue 289 4 speed with AC Straight and clean $11,000 OBO Please contact Margaret Nance 318-393-2768
The Pony Express Page 5 Louisiana offering $3,000 tax refund on purchase of flex fuel vehicles The purchase of a flex fuel vehicle could result in a refundable tax credit up to $3,000. The Louisiana Department of Revenue issued an Emergency Ruling on April 30, 2012 confirming that the purchase of a new vehicle using E85 or "flex fuel" qualifies for the state's Alternative Fuel Credit. Purchases of used vehicles do not qualify. The credit applies to individuals and corporations who have purchased a new vehicle capable of using E85 or flex fuel on or after January 1, 2009. The credit is 10% of the vehicle s purchase price, limited to $3,000. (There is another piece of this credit for converting a vehicle to alternative fuel. If you are thinking of doing this, you need to read into the credit further. It can be up to 50% of the cost of conversion.) E85 is a fuel blend containing much higher ethanol content than ordinary gasoline. The credit was put in place to encourage purchase of vehicles that emit less emissions than the standard gasoline use vehicles. Qualifying model years are 2009-2012 and include many makes and models. There are several Ford models that qualify (flex fuel versions only, be sure to verify with manufacturer): 2010-2011 Crown Victoria 2011-2012 E-150/250/350 Van 2010-2012 Escape & Escape Hybrid 2012-2012 Expedition 2012 F-150/250/350/450 2011 F-150/250 and 2010 F-150 2012 Focus EV 2011-2012 Ford Azure Transit Connect 2010-2012 Fusion & Fusion Hybrid 2012 Police Interceptor 2011-2012 CNG Transit Connect Other manufacturers have vehicles that qualify. You can search the various models at this internet link: http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/vehicles/search/light. If you purchased one of these vehicles in 2009-2011 and have already filed your return, don t worry. You can go back and amend your return to take advantage of the credit. You will need to attach a copy of your purchase documents, including registration certificate, to your amended return. Unfortunately, it is impossible to give comprehensive tax advice in a newsletter article, no matter how well researched or written. If you have real questions, it is best to engage a tax professional to discuss your specific situation. Rhonda D. Butler, CPA Hummingbird & King CPAs, LLC IRS Circular 230 notice: In order to comply with requirements imposed by the IRS, I must inform you that any U.S. federal tax advice contained in this article is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter that is contained in this article. Over 20 Mustangs came to the ANECA FCU Show and Shine May 5th.
P age 6 T he P o ny E x pr e s s
Memories of Carroll Shelby My first encounter with Mr. Shelby was at Hilltop Raceway in Bossier Parish, Louisiana. The year was 1962 and they were having Sports Car Races at the local track. I remember him wearing the black western hat and thought that was so unique. I had only seen the bad guys in the western movies wear black hats. Dan Gurney was the driver for the team and he won the race in a Lotus, much like the one Jim Clark drove in the Formula 1 races back then. I photographed everything with black and white Polaroid film. We were a black and white society back then, wedding photos, school pictures and even television was all black and white. I saw Dan Gurney again in 1967 at Green Valley Sports Car Track in Fort Worth and he won the Trans Am race that day in a Ford Mercury Cougar. Carroll Shelby was busy with the Ford GT40 and Le Mans races. The Daytona Cobra had won the 1965 world championship for America, and C S was seeing to it that Ford beat Ferrari two years in a row at the 24hr race. This was the bond between Carroll Shelby and Henry Ford that would last a lifetime. Fast forward to 2002. My friend Ruby Lewis Wells, who had owned 16 Mustangs most of them Shelbys, called me and said they were going to do a Shelby Day in Pittsburg, TX in October. There would be a parade and a party at Carrolls home, but you were only invited if you owned a Shelby. I pleaded my case and she let me tag along in her 68 Shelby GT350. The car held the drag strip track record for its class at Green Valley up until they closed the track. We trailered to Pittsburgh that rainy morning, as the car had a full lock differential with a 4.88 gear or something like that. We were unloading at the local Brookshires parking lot when Carroll drove up and started chatting with us. He said the parade was lining up at the school, and he was buying fresh bread for our lunch. The store was ½ way between his house and the school, and with the gears we figured that would be a good plan. We drove around to the school and lined up for the parade to downtown. After a two hour car show and him signing autographs we headed out to his house for lunch. It was barbecue and Shelby Chili of course. He signed all kinds of stuff for us and told us stories that would make you laugh out loud. He talked to Ruby like she was an old friend, which made the rest of us at ease. He had African cattle on his ranch. I had forgotten about him going to Africa. He had three turkeys when we got there and two when we left, as I was not the best at driving Ruby s race car. I hoped the family from Honduras who took care of his place had their Thanksgiving dinner in October that year. 2009 we went to the Shelby Nationals in Tulsa and my two grandsons met him. He signed some 1/18 die cast cars for them. He personalized them for Bailey and Joseph and talked to them about baseball. He was a man with a heart as big as Secretariat s. We will always hold his memory close and hope his legacy lives on for many years to come. Rest in peace Carroll and may perpetual light shine upon you. Tommy Gayer
The Pony Express Page 8 June 2012 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 2 Club Meeting. 5 PM, 7 Longview Cruise night 9 Downtown Marshall Cruise Night 13-17 Mid America Shelby Nationals, Tulsa, OK 14 Flag Day 16 8-10:00 am Breakfast and Fast rides Strawn's Eat Shop Too East 70th St 16 Colliers Cruise Nights 17 Father s Day 20 RRCMC Board meeting @ Reed Industrial, 6:30 PM 23 Asbury Motor Club cruise 30 50th Anniversary Cobra Tour 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 July 2012 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 June Birthdays Shannon Andrusia John Brewer Fred Brown Anthony Kveder Jimmie McGee Jim Miller Thomas Monahan Robert Widner Chris Wright 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 5 Longview Cruise night 7Club Meeting. 5 PM 8 Show Committee Mtg 14 Downtown Marshall Cruise Night 18 RRCMC Board meeting @ Reed Industrial, 6:30 PM 21 8-10:00 am Breakfast and Fast rides Strawn's Eat Shop Too East 70th St 21 Colliers Cruise Nights